Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Once Again The Bristol Herald Courier Editorial Board Makes My Head Hurt

"We support FDA regulation of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Sponsored by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., who also chaired the now-famous industry hearing in 1994, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act wouldn’t let the agency ban tobacco outright. But the FDA will be able to regulate the contents of tobacco products, make their ingredients public, prohibit flavoring, require larger warning labels and strictly control or prohibit marketing campaigns, especially those geared toward children."

That does not sound that bad at first, but the "strictly control or prohibit marketing campaigns, especially those geared toward children." and "prohibit flavoring" deserves some scrutiny. No problem with the children thing, but the power to prohibit all marketing? They will create a 18th Amendment Prohibition reaction. Black Market tobacco, folks growing tobacco like modern day pot growers, smuggling of tobacco...it never ends. All this while the richest among us can afford to freely use the plant at will.

The funny thing to me is most of those pushing this shit are the same folks who say the war on drugs is a waste of time. They probably want pot legalized. Some smokers do it solely for the pleasure while others are stone cold addicts. Nicotine addiction is a bastard to kick. I think I have read that the majority of smokers are some of the poorest people. I think most will smoke anyway at all costs. In a few years a pack of cigarettes will carry the same draw as a poke of cocaine had in 1980. Our government cant control illegal drugs, why do they believe they can control tobacco? I don't like the direction this is heading.